Posted on 10/28/2004 7:25:10 PM PDT by WVbowhunter
FBI probes Halliburton's Pentagon contracts ASSOCIATED PRESS October 28, 2004, 6:53 PM EDT WASHINGTON -- The FBI has begun investigating whether the Pentagon improperly awarded no-bid contracts to Halliburton Co., seeking an interview with a top Army contracting officer and collecting documents from several government offices.
The line of inquiry expands an earlier FBI investigation into whether Halliburton overcharged taxpayers for fuel in Iraq, and it elevates to a criminal matter the election-year question of whether the Bush administration showed favoritism to Vice President Dick Cheney's former company.
FBI agents this week sought permission to interview Bunnatine Greenhouse, the Army Corps of Engineers' chief contracting officer who went public last weekend with allegations that her agency unfairly awarded KBR, a Halliburton subsidiary, no-bid contracts worth billions of dollars for work in Iraq, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
Asked about the documents, Greenhouse's lawyers said Thursday their client will cooperate but that she wants whistle-blower protection from Pentagon retaliation.
"I think it (the FBI interview request) underscores the seriousness of the misconduct, and it also demonstrates how courageous Ms. Greenhouse was for stepping forward," said Stephen Kohn, one of her attorneys.
"The initiation of an FBI investigation into criminal misconduct will help restore public confidence," Kohn said. "The Army must aggressively protect Ms. Greenhouse from the retaliation she will encounter as a result of blowing the whistle on this misconduct."
FBI agents also recently began collecting documents from Army offices in Texas and elsewhere to examine how and why Halliburton, a Houston-based oil services conglomerate, got the no-bid work.
"The Corps is absolutely cooperating with the FBI, and it has been an ongoing effort," said Army Corps spokeswoman Carol Sanders.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
I smell a Rat in the FBI. A dirty DemocRAT. I think that we will find a serious credibility issue if the RNC investigates quickly enough.
Heinz Kerry was a major Enron and Haliburton shareholder thru her trusts.
Yeah, Newsday, that's a trustworthy newspaper. They can't even get their circulation right. Just a rag.
And, ignore John El Caca's precious U.N.'s Oil-for-Food Scandal.
Really? I hope they do dwell on it, then we can trumpet from the rooftops that Clinton granted those contracts.
Yawn, October surprise, this will flop. Everyone is tired of the Halliburton rants.
I don;t think the American public gives a RAT'S butt about Halliburton. And since there are 3 companies in the world that can do what they do, and only 1 is American, there's no reason not to give them no-bid contracts. Unless you favor outsourcing.
I thought it had already been determined that Halliburton was the only company with the capacity to perform the contract. I'm confused about this story. Is it a different contract?
Halliburton. . . . .YAAAAAWNNNN. In order to be surprise, doesn't something have to be, well, surprising? Moveon.org et. al. have blown this issue by overplaying it.
I hope to see this "story" debunked in less than 24 hours.
Funny -- 5 days before the election.
It seems like the FBI and the CIA are full of people who will do anything to get Bush defeated, regardless of the cost to the country.
Clinton also awarded no bid contracts to Halliburton. Why is it wrong now but not wrong then?
That dog won't hunt.
ping
Good grief!
This is such OLD news is this the best they can do?
It's already been debunked.
Must we rehash it over and over and over again pretending to be surprised when the ending is always the same - no crime was committed?
good point ... what other AMERICAN company could bid against halliburton for the services that were provided for the contract?
when youre a total jackass like kerry and you cant get elected
on character or record...you pull crap like this...pathetic
Tomorrow is Friday. The Red Sox victory parade and college football is all day Saturday. NFL all day on Sunday. MSNBC takes the weekends off and goes live 5 hrs.
This story will be dead by Monday when all of the hype about all of the last minute polls and campaign stops happen.
This one is pretty well thought out because no one can "deny" there is an "investigation", so they get to slime away and there is no way to rebut. Also, it can't be sourced back to kerry.
I doubt it gets much steam, though.
It was top on CBS' website and even now has bumped down the list.
I think this will take a backseat to the weapons.
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